The present invention relates to articles of footwear, in particular articles of footwear having improved ventilation characteristics.
Certain types of safety footwear must satisfy particular requirements in order for the footwear to be designated as “protective footwear.” For instance, the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) sets standards for protecting consumer's toes and metatarsal areas in “protective footwear” (e.g., as set forth in ASTM F2413-11). If a safety toe cap is used, it must meet certain impact resistance and compression resistance tests, indicating the toe cap can sufficiently protect a user's foot from injury. The same is true for metatarsal guards utilized in such footwear.
While safety is a significant concern in these types of footwear, often the footwear lacks proper or efficient ventilation, making the footwear hot and uncomfortable during use. A need therefore exists for providing protective footwear with proper and effective ventilation.